


first step

by ryvrr, Writerly



Series: kill them with kindness [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Healing, Kate Marsh centric, Male-Female Friendship, POV Female Character, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:06:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5147975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryvrr/pseuds/ryvrr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerly/pseuds/Writerly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Has anyone ever told you that you work too hard?”</p><p>“I should take that as a compliment, right?”</p><p>Matt’s lips twitched at the corners. “Sure,” he told her. “You can take it however you want, as long as you agree to go home now.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	first step

**Author's Note:**

> This amazing idea started because [Writerly](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerly) made a passing comment about a Matt & Kate crossover friendship, and then THIS WAS BORN. It's an actual thing that happened, and now it's going to be a series titled "kill them with kindness." Welcome to the madness.
> 
> Please take the time to appreciate the amazing and lovely artwork that Writerly made! The original post for it can be found [here](http://literairorium.tumblr.com/post/132578721353/collab-with-the-amazingly-talented-mynxalicious#notes)!
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy. ;u; Also feel free to find me on my own [fanfiction tumblr](http://mynxalicious.tumblr.com) and talk to me about this crossover. TALK TO US ABOUT THIS CROSSOVER WE HAVE SO MANY IDEAS AND PLOTS and there will be background pairings and relationships later. :')

  
  


  


* * *

“Has anyone ever told you that you work too hard?”

Kate looked up in surprise to hear her boss’s voice. She’d thought he’d gone home hours ago. She straightened from her half crouched position in front of a box of papers and felt a tentative smile stretch her lips. “I should take that as a compliment, right?” Kate asked back after a moment’s pause. She knew Matt couldn’t see her, but she still shifted a bit awkwardly as she stayed perched in front of the files in front of her. 

Matt’s lips twitched at the corners. “Sure,” he told her. “You can take it however you want, as long as you agree to go home now.” 

Kate laughed before she could help herself. “Okay,” she said. She knew that meant that he wanted to close up. She’d gotten sucked into her work like she often did, and hadn’t actually realized how much time had passed. She’d told Karen to let her know when she was leaving, but she must have forgotten in her own rush to get out the door. 

Matt waited patiently near the door of the room Kate had been using to organize the files. She grabbed her coat and purse, and then headed towards the entrance to the office. Matt followed along behind her. “You don’t get out much besides work and school,” Matt said conversationally as he locked up the office. Kate hadn’t bothered to leave without him, because she liked walking along with her coworkers. Foggy was very funny and brightened her up, and Karen was just so nice. Kate hadn’t had much chance to talk too long or often with Matt, but he seemed kind and friendly whenever she was around him. 

“No,” Kate responded. It was the truth. Ever since she’d moved here from Arcadia Bay, Kate hadn’t really tried to put herself out there as much as she used to. She felt... it still felt strange, to be in New York and so far away from the things that had torn her life apart only a year before. She’d been accepted into a much better art school here, but Blackwell still seemed to hover over her. It was hard to go out and appreciate life, when you’d started to realize how dark it was just on the edge of your vision. “Not really.” 

The silence stretched between them, but Kate found she didn’t mind. It was easier to drift along in life when she didn’t have to force herself to make polite conversation. The quiet was easier somehow, like a languid river she could float along in. “There’s an art show next week,” Matt told her as they exited the building. Kate slowed to a stop as she reached the sidewalk and turned to study Matt with furrowed brows. Why was he mentioning this? “If you wanted to go,” he said when she made no move to reply, clearly realizing Kate had started to look at him in bemusement. 

“Oh,” she said and scuffed the toe of her shoe against the pavement. She wasn’t sure if she’d go. It made her think too much about-- about things she didn’t want to think about: Jefferson, the last _photo shoot_ she’d been an unwilling part of, the bright lights she could barely recall, and feeling her body move because of someone else’s hands, because of someone else’s whims. It might be good for her, though, she reasoned. Her therapist-- her dad had insisted she see one after the things Jefferson had done had come to light in his trial-- would be proud of her if she took this first step towards recovery and healing. “Maybe I’ll go.” 

They stood there for several long moments. Kate wondered what Matt thought in these kinds of times. He didn’t have sight to help him along, and instead he had to stand there and wonder. “We could go together,” Matt said seemingly out of nowhere. Kate blinked a few times in startled disbelief. “If you needed someone else to go with. I know… I know sometimes taking that first step is hard.” 

It was touching that Matt had even noticed Kate had a hard time and needed that sort of help. Kate had been quick to bond with all of her acquaintances at her new job, but she’d never thought any of them had noticed something so personal about _her._ “I--” Kate trailed off for a moment and shifted a little on her feet. Her hands went down to play with the straps of her messenger bag and she refused to look at Matt’s face. She knew that Matt couldn’t see her, but it still helped to make Kate more at ease to not have to look at him. “I’d like that,” she said. “Thank you.” 

She glanced up to notice Matt nod. He gathered himself up and took a step so that he stood on the sidewalk as well. “Do you need someone to walk you home?” he asked. “It’s getting late.” 

She paused a moment and wondered how he could tell, but… of course he’d have checked the time before leaving the office. “No,” she told him. “I’m going to take a taxi.” She hadn’t meant to stay so late, but only doing it every once in awhile would be fine. Matt nodded his head in reply. 

“I’ll wait here until it comes,” he told her. 

Kate burst out with, “You don’t have to!” She hated to be an inconvenience for him. “I’m sure you have better things to do, Mr. Murdock.” 

“Matt,” he told her without even batting an eye. Not that Kate could see if he was blinking or not. Those glasses were even darker in tint when the night’s gloom was approaching. “It’s not any problem for me. I don’t mind, Kate.” 

“O-okay,” Kate said. She pulled her phone out to call the taxi company, which didn’t take that long at all. She fumbled with her phone to put it back into her bag after. “They said it’s only going to be ten minutes.” 

Matt nodded in reply. The two of them lapsed into silence again, though it wasn’t awkward this time. Kate had a lot to think about. Next weekend she’d go to her first art show in almost a year and a half! It made her head spin just to realize it. So much had happened in that frame of time-- it seemed like such a short amount, but so much had been jammed into it. She wondered if she’d even be able to step inside of the exhibit, or if she’d have a panic attack at the door and leave. 

It’d be easier though, knowing someone else was there with her. It had always been so much easier to know she had friends who stood behind her. Max had always been there for her. Kate’s fingers twitched a little at the thought of her best friend, and she made a promise to send an email to her when she got home. She hadn’t heard from Max in almost three months, not since the last picture Max had emailed her that had been taken in California. Max had looked happy in it, and the thought that Max was healing had been a balm on Kate’s heart too. 

The taxi pulled up while Kate had been caught up in her thoughts. “Thank you,” she said as she opened the door and stood with one foot inside of it. She looked around at her boss and smiled a little, though she knew he couldn’t see it. Maybe he would hear it in her voice? She hoped so. “For everything, Mr. Mur-- Matt.” 

Matt’s lips twitched into another small smile. “No problem, Kate. I’ll see you next week. Don’t try to come in during the weekdays. We’ll be fine without you until Friday. You have classes you should focus on.” 

“R-right,” Kate agreed. She took in a deep, steadying breath. “I’ll see you next week.” 

“The art show is on Saturday,” he told her before she could close the taxi door. She looked at him one last time as she settled her hand on the door’s handle, ready to shut it. “Make sure to bring a change of clothes for before we go.” 

The first little thrill of excitement hit Kate and she couldn’t keep her grin from expanding. “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll be sure to.” It was easier to agree when she ignored the little curl of dread that hid underneath the happier feelings. 

Matt waited on the sidewalk until she was safely ensconced in the taxi. She watched as he grew tinier as the taxi drove away. When she’d first moved here, she’d wondered if she was only running away from her problems. It’d seemed like an iffy idea to move across country-- away from the nightmares, away from the darkness that had started to seep into her memories of Oregon-- but… today it felt like it might have been a good idea all along. 

Kate chewed on her lower lip in thought before she pulled out her cell phone from her bag. The real first step would be to email Max and see how she was doing. She shouldn’t let her friendships wane. There were people she wanted very much to keep in her life. Max was high on that list. 


End file.
